TITLE:
210Pb and 137Cs Dating of Remote Lake Sediments in Adirondack Park, New York
AUTHORS:
Abdul J. Khan, Tanveer Ahmad
KEYWORDS:
210Pb Dating, 137Cs, Adirondack Mountains, CIC, CF-CS, CRS, Sediment Focusing
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.14 No.10,
October
30,
2026
ABSTRACT: This study establishes sediment chronologies for West Pine Pond (WP), a remote soft-water lake in the Adirondack Park region of New York, using natural 210Pb and anthropogenic 137Cs as geochronological tracers. Four sediment cores were analyzed by gamma spectrometry, and age-depth relationships were developed using the Constant Initial Concentration (CIC), Constant Flux-Constant Sedimentation (CF-CS), and Constant Rate of Supply (CRS) models. Unsupported 210Pb (210Pbunsup) profiles showed well-defined declines with depth, and three of the four cores contained distinct 137Cs fallout maxima associated with the 1963 atmospheric nuclear-testing peak, providing independent chronological validation. Mass accumulation rates ranged from 0.0106 to 0.0177 g cm−2 yr−1, while linear sedimentation rates ranged from 0.18 to 0.20 cm yr−1, indicating relatively stable long-term deposition. The CIC model showed the closest overall agreement with the 137Cs marker horizon in the three cores with identifiable 137Cs maxima, whereas the CIC model showed the closest overall agreement with the 137Cs marker horizon in the three cores with identifiable 137Cs maxima, whereas the CRS model revealed substantial depth-dependent variability in sediment accumulation among the four cores. Unsupported 210Pb inventories ranged from 28.56 to 44.16 dpm cm−2, with corresponding fluxes of 0.89 - 1.38 dpm cm−2 yr−1. The resulting chronologies preserve approximately 150 years of environmental history and demonstrate the value of combining multiple 210Pb dating models with independent 137Cs validation for reconstructing long-term sedimentation and environmental change in lacustrine systems.